Machine for treating bottles.



L. S. PPOUTS. 'MAGHINETOR TREATING BOTTLES. APPLIOATIQN FILED 0012.30, 1'906.

ATTORNEY.

L.s.PF0UTs. MACHINE ,FOR TBEATING BOTTLES.

f v APPLICATION FILED 00T. 30, 1906. 963,247, Patented July 5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

W'ITNESSES:

' A' A TT ORNE Y.

L. S. P'FUUTS.

MACHINE POR TREATING BOTTLES.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 001:30, 19uu.

Patented July 5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/NI///VTOR. .fw

A TTORNEY.

L. s. PPOUTS. MACHINE POR TREATING BOTTLES.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T.30, 1906. 963,247. Patented July 5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l f-zvI/E/vok. of@ J 5M, mfom/EY.

y LEROY S. PFOUTS. OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MILLER PASTEURIZING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW'JERSEY.

MACHINE For. TREATING Bor'rLEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-July 5', raro.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY S. PFoTs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Machine for Treating Bottles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in machines f0r washing, cleaning and sterilizing bottles. Y

It'has for its object to provide an apparatus adapted to receive successive` charges of a plurality of bottles and to advance each charge step by step, and to' perform upon it the various operations of which the machine is capable during the passage of a charge ofbottles from the receiving to the delivery end of the machine.

Figure l is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying my improvements, parts being omitted to facilitate the illustration. Figf la is a detail view of a portion of the apparatus showingthe driving connections for the main washing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the mechanism, certain of the parts being omitted and broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view looking at the delivery end of the machine. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ,of a portion of the tray conveyer actuating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sect-ion through a portion of the main washing mechanism. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of some of the driving gears for the main washing mechanism. Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation showing the relationship of some of the said driving gears. Fig. 10 is a perspective View' of a bottle tray or carr1er.

In the drawings the principal groups of parts of the mechanism as entireties are represented as follows:

A is the main frame of the machine, B the preliminary or initial washing mechanism, C the main washing mechanism, D the rinsing mechanism, E the sterilizing mechanism, F, F the water-circulatin .mechanism, G the conveying systemfor a vancing bottles through the machine step by step, and H the power transmitting devices on the machine for eifecting the desired copera tion of its various parts. v

The main frame A comprises a base 1',

from which extend upward at either side thereof side plates 2, 2 suitably apertured as at 2a so as to reduce their w'eight as much as possible. At intervals' these side plates are connected by cross bars 3. This frame work may be of any suitable and desired construction.

4 is a horizontally disposed longitudinally arranged water trough or tank preferably secured between the side walls of the frame near the bottle-receiving end thereof and 'beneath the upper row of cross braces 3. I

5 indicates means arranged above the bottom of the trough 4 for injecting into the bottles the wateror Washing liuid in jets corresponding in number and arrangement to the set or charge of bottles fedwto, the apparatus. These means preferably consist of a series of horizontal, longitudinally disposed pipes 5 suitably connected together and carrying a plurality of upwardly ex tending nozzles 6 arranged in-row's in the lines of travel of the rows of bottles through the machine, the tot-al number of these .nozzles on the series of pipes corresponding to twice t-he number of bottles to be acted upon by the machine at each successive operation performed upon each charge of bottles, the pipes and nozzles constituting thev prelimi nary or initial washer B.

The main washing mechanism C is arranged adjacent to the rear end of the tank 4. Of this mechanism 7 is a .horizontally disposed water tank or head suitably secured in position, between the side walls of the main frame and at a distance below the horizontal plane of the fluid injecting means 5. This head 7 has a cover and bearing plate 7 having a plurality of water-discharge passageways through it arranged'in rows, each in longitudinal alinement with one of the rows of nozzles heretofore described and the passageways in each row corresponding in number with the number of bottles in each row to be washed or scrubbed at a given time, and in addition to this, said cover plate preferably has a plurality of water-discharge openings arran ed so as tobe between adjacent rows of ttles and staggered 'relatively to the bottle positions iii said rows.

8 is a bearing plate arranged parallel to the cover 7 spaced therefrom and' suitably held rigidly in position. It has extending through it a corresponding number of passageways to the passageways through the cover 7' and similarly arranged, so that when it is in position each one of the apertures through it is in axial alinement with an aperture through the cover 7 beneath it.

9 are tubular journals or hollow shafts each snugly fitting at its lower end into one of the bearings in the cover 7 and extending upwardly therefrom through the alined bearing in the bearing plate 8. These journals are all geared together as indicated in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 so as to rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows on Fig. 8, in the following manner. The journals 9 are arranged in iive longitudinal rows, three of which are in alinement with the lines of travel of certain rows of bottles through the machine and the journals in the other two rows are staggered between the journals of the three rows just described. 10 are gears, one secured to every other journal in each of said first three rows at points beneath the bearing plate 8.- e

10 are gears with teeth of about half the width of the face of the teeth of the gears 10, and cach secured to a journal between journals carrying the gears 10 and in mesh with the latter.

11 are relatively small gear wheels having teeth of substantially the same width of face as the teeth on gears 10 and each secured to one of the journals staggered between the 'ournals in the said three rows and having lts teeth lying beneath the top of the adjacent gears 10 and in mesh wit-h the adjacent gears 10.

12 indicates means or devices for engaging with as well as for directing the washing fluid in jets against the suriaces of the bottles. These devices preferably consist of brushes 12 formed on hollow perforated spindles or tubes 12', the lower end of each one of which is inserted into and detachably secured in one of the journals 9. The bristles 12EL on the. brushes are radially disposed for the greater part of the length ot' the brush roper and at the top is a bunch of vertica ly disposed bristles 12b, which are ada ted to wash internally the bottom walls of t e bottles with which they may contact.

Theseries of brushes which enter between the bottles serve to scrub and scour the outs'ides of the bottles as they rotate under the longitudinally disposed and arranged beneath the upper row of cross bars 3 referably in alinement with and similar y suD- ported to the water trough 4.

14 indicates meansfor injecting the rinsing fluid `in jets into the bottles. These means preferably consist of a series of lon- 'tudinally disposed pipes supported above t e bottom of the trough 13 and each arranged in axial alinement with one of the rows of water-discharge orifices or jets hereinbefore described. 'lhe series of pipes 14 carry a plurality of upwardly directed nozzles 15 corresponding in number with the number of nozzles carried by the pipes 5, similarly disposed and adapted to direct rinsing water into the bottles which are introduced into the machine in a charge at any given time.

There are preferably two sets of rinsing means so that each set of cased bottles receives a preliminary and a nal rinsing.

Immediately adjacent to the discharge end of the mechanism and above the rear end of the trough 13 is arranged a series of longitudinally disposed pipes 16 suitably connected together for the conducting ot fluid from one to the other, each of these pipes being arranged in longitudinal alinement with one of the rows o washing and rinsing nozzles heretofore 'described and each being provided with a plurality of upwardly directed nozzles 17 corresponding in number to the number of bottles 1n each row of the series of bottles fed to the machine at any given time, these nozzles being adapted to direct steam for sterilizing purposes into the bottles, just prior to their removal from the machine.

Of the water circulating system F, 1S represents a double acting pump which receives its supply of waterl from a tank 1S) or any other suitable source and its steam from a pipe 18 leading from any suitable source of steam power. 20 is a water conduit from the said pump to the series ot' pipes 5 of the initial washing mechanism in the trough, the said conduit being provided with a suitable shut-ott' valve 21 for regulating the flow of water.

Of the water circulating system F', 23 indicates a suitable double acting pump of any` desired description receiving its water supply from a tank 24 or any other suitable source. 25 is a conduit for conducting water to the fluid injecting means of the rinsing mechanism. 25 is a suitable shut-ottl valve for regulating the flow of liquid through said pipe. 27 is a steam supply pipe. to the pump 23. The tanks 19 and 24 may be a1'- ranged, if desired, below the injecting de vices of the washing and rinsing mechanisms. 28 is a steam pipe leading from the said ipe 27 to the nozzle system 16. 2S is a t rott-le valve in the stealn conduit 2S.

llO

having an operating lever 28a. `The pumps 18 and 23 are so operated and controlled as to cause jets of water or cleaning. fluid to be directed from the nozzles to which the pumps are connected, respectively. v

The, apparatus herein'shown is devised with the idea of having 12 bottles fed toit at each charge and operating upon this number at each step during travel of the charges through the machine. Preferably the bottles are fed to the machine in carriers or trays 30, the bottles being inverted while within the machine and thus held within the trays in any suitable and well known manner.

In Fig. 10 I have, for illustration purposes, shown a bottle tray having suitable side and end walls and aseries of longitudinally disposed rods or* bars 30 forming a support -for the bottoms of the bottles. v30a is a'. guide and spacing plate secured within the tray and having recesses or bottle spacing holes 3()b through it arranged in rows which will aline with the rows of nozzles and scrubbing brushes in the machine. 30c is a detachably mounted bottle retaining plate which may be placed in the tray when it is desired to invert it for passage through the machine.' This bottle retainer has a plurality of holes through it arranged in rows and each adapted to receive the neck .end of one of the bottles in the tray the walls of each one of these holes engaging with the neck of a bottle -to prevent the bottle from dropping down out of the tray. 31 indicates as an entirety a guideway for the bottle carriers or trays. It preferably consists of longitudinally disposed angle bars 31 arranged near either side of the machineand resting uponlthe cross bars 3 of the frame, each of these angle bars being outwardly flared as indicated at 31a at the tray or carrier-receiving end of the machine, to facilitate the placmg of the bottle tray or carrier in the guideway.

Of the conveying system G for advancing the bottle trays or `carriers step by step through the machine, 32, 32 indicate longitudinally disposed reciprocating and oscillating rods or shafts, one arranged at either side of the machine and outside of and above the adjacent carrier or tray guide 31. rlhese reciprocating and rocking shafts 32, 32 are mounted at intervals in suitable bearings 34 supportedby the main frame. 32a are tray or bot-tlc carrier-engaging lugs or projections rigidly secured to the said reciprocating and rocking shafts, there being a correspondingnumber of these lugs on each shaft to the number of steps of operation of the mechanism. At points adjacent to either end of the main washing mechanism C the stationary angle guide bars 31 are discontinued and between their adjacent ends is arranged a vertically rising and falling elevator or frame 33. This vertically reciproeating elevator comprises side-plates 33carryin at either end slides or cross lheads 33l tted into and guided by vertically disposed guideways 33c suitably secured to the adjacent sides of the main frame. 33d are cross bars suitably connect-ing the side plates of the said cage together. 33t are horizontally arranged longitudinally disposed wardly as indicated at 34a to permit the easy introduction of and discharge of the bottle'carrying trays from the said cage.

40 indicates means for washing the external surface of the bottoms of the bottles. These means preferably comprise a horizontally disposed transversely arranged scrubber or revoluble brush arranged in the path of the line of travel of the bottoms of the bottles, adjacent tothe point at which they are introduced into the machine and `prcfeiably above the preliminary or initial washers A and intermediate their ends. I have found it desirable to have this brush Ll() formed with its bristles yinserted in spiral fashion, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. rIhis makes the brush self-cleaning and per mits of its being mounted transversely across the frame of the machine and not at an angle to the longitudinal lines of the machine as has been. the case with the brushes heretofore employed for a similar purpose but not having their bristles inserted in spiral conformation as here shown.

Power for actuating the various parts of the mechanism above described, so as to cause them to operate in proper sequence, or co-relation, may be secured from any well known source and is preferably applied to the machine through a single driven shaft, from which power is automatically transmitted to the various parts of the mechanism by devices to be hereinafter described, although it will be understood that any means for causing the parts to operate in proper sequence and co-relatiou may be employed.

Of the power transmitting mechanism H on the machine, l2 indicates a longitudinally disposed driven shaft mounted at one side of the machine in bearings 42', 42', carried by the main frame. 43, 44, are fast and loose pulleys arranged in the well known manner upon the said driven shaft near the front end thereof and adapted yto be connected with a suitable source of power. 45 is a bevel gear rigidly secured to the front end of the shaft 42 and in mesh with a bevel gear 46 rigidly secured to the lower end of a. vertically disposed shaft 47 suitably mounted in bearings on the main frame. 4 8 is a bevel gear rigidly secured to the upper end of the shaft 47 and in mesh with a bevel gear 49 secured to the brush shaft 49.

^ its periphery engage with the periphery of Y' the adjacent anti-friction roller 50 on the said elevator or reciprocating frame. 53 is a worm rigidly secured to the driven shaft 42 at a point directly beneath the transverse shaft 51, and 54 is a Worm gear rigidly secured to the said transverse shaft 5l and in mesh with the worm 53. 55 is a shaft arranged parallel to the driven shaft 42 and extending rearward from beneath the rear end of the main washing mechanism C, and suitably mounted in a longitudinal bearing 55 carried by the main framef 56 is a spur gear rigidly secured to the rear end of said shaft 55 and in mesh with aspur gear 57 rigidly securedto the driven shaft 42. 58 is a bevel pinion rigidly secured to the front end of the said shaft 55, and in mesh with a bevel pinion 59 rigidly secured to a vertically disposed shaft 60, to the upper end of which latter shaft is rigidlyl secured a spur gear 61 which drives the gearing for operating the brushes 12". 62 is a horizontally disposed transversely arranged shaft suitabl mounted in bearings carried by the main rame and near the rear end of the driven shaft 42. 63 is a worm rigidly secured to the shaft 42 and 64 is-a worm gear rigidly secured to the shaft 62 and in mesh with the worm 63. 65 is a cam rigidly secured to the shaft 62. 66 is a cam plate recessed as indicated at 66 to receive the cam 65. This cam plate is supported in position so as to be reclprocated by the cam4 65 by means of the longitudinally arranged horizontally disposed rods or shafts 66a extending from opposite ends of the said plate and each mounted in a bearing plate 67 secured to the main frame. 68 is a transversely arranged horizontally disposed rock shaft suitably mounted in bearings carried by the main frame land in the rear of the shaft 62. 69 is a yoke lever rigidly secured at its lower end to the rock shaft 68. The arms of the yoke extend upwardly and outwardly to points outside of the longitudinal lines of the adjacent sides of the main frame, and each has its upper end connected by a link 70 to a slide 71 secured to the rear end of the adjacent reciprocating, and rocking shaft 32 or 32', and suitably guided in a groove 71 'in the adjacent wall of the main frame. 72, 72, are straps or arms connected at their rear ends to the oke lever 69 intermediate lof its ends an at their front ends toA the cam late 66. v73, 73, are longitudinally dispose shafts extending rearwardly from the transverse shaft 62 at either side of the main frame and suitably mounted in bearings carried by the main frame.V 74, 74, are bevel gears rigidly secured "to the front ends of said shafts 73, 73, respectively,and each in mesh with a bevel gear 75 secured to said transverse shaft 62. At its rear end each of said shafts 73 has secured to it a cam 76 about which is fitted a cam plate 77 which the cam is adapted to reciprocate, this cam plate being held in position by a suitable bolt and washer 78 and the straps 79, 79 secured to the rear end of the camvplate. From each of.said cam plates there extends upwardly a rod 79( which, at its upper end, is pivotally connected on a horizontal longitudinally disposed axis to a lever arm SQ. This lever arm,

or oscillate. This lever 80 "1s provided with Y a longitudinal series of holes 80 into which the upper Vend of the rod 79 'may be inserted to adjust lor'vary the throw of the rock shaft, as`desired. On the side of the machine adjacent to the steam pipe 27 the lever 80 is connected by a link 81 to the throttle control lever 28a. This latter lever also has a longitudinal series of holes through it for regulating and adjusting the operation of the `steam throttle valve 28 from the lever 80.

In operation, a tray containing twelve bot tles in inverted position is laced upon the guide at the front end of t e machine and forced forward until it is in advance of the inclined lugs 31" at the front end of the angle bar guides. The pumps 18 and 23 are then started into operation, 'steam being admitted to them through the pipes 18 and 27, respectively. The driving belt is shifted from the loose pulley 43 to the fast pulley 44 on the driven shaft 42 and all of the various actuated parts of the mechanism are thereby connected to the source of power. The shafts 73 rotate the cams 76 andthe devices between said cams and the rocking and reciprocating shafts 32, 32', rock said shafts so as to throw upwardly and outwardly the bottle carrier-engaging lugs or projections 32a on each shaft untll they are out of the path of ty e line of travel of the said bottle carriers. The cam 65 then forces forward the cam plate 66 and with it the yoke lever G9, which, in'turn, causes the forward travel l ready to engage the bottle carrier 3O'which4 has just been inserted into the machine. The rods 32, 32 then startl to move rearwardly causing the bottle carrier with its complement of bottles to be positioned above the first set of washing nozzles or jets 6, and the first step in the travel of the charge or series of bott-les through therhachine is completed. At this point vt-he pumping mechanism 18 causes streams or jes of water or cleaning solution, of the d ired temperature, to be injected into the series or charge` of bottles. As soon as this is accomplished the bottle carrier is caused, through the operation of the reciprocating and rocking bars 32, 32, in the manner above described, to travel another step in its course through the machine, and while so doing the bottoms of the bottles are engaged by the bristles of the brush 40 projecting between the rods on the bottom of the tray and are cleansed. At the end of this second step of travel the series of bottles are above the second sets of jets or nozzles ofthe preliminary or initial washer, 'and the pump 18 again causes jets of the washing liquid to be forced into the bottles. Each succeeding step of longitudinal travel of a charge of bottles through the machine is eifeoted in the same manner as the one first described and consequent-ly further description of this operation is not necessary. From above the second set of nozzles of the preliminaryk washers the bottle carrier is moved intovthe vertically reciprocating cage or elevator 33. As soon as this step of travel has been completed the cams 52 on the shaftY 51 permit the elevator to descend, and the weight of the elevator, bottle carrier and bottles forces the bottles downwardly to the main washing mechanism so that the bottles lie over their respective internalcleaning devices 12 and between v the external cleaning brushes to engage the exteriors of the bottles as they are rotated under the action of the said devices and `brushes upon them, the said devices and 4brushes being rotated by the mechanism hereinbefore described, and' at the same time water is forced by the pumping mechanism 18 through the perforated spindles 12 of the main washing mechanism so as to assist them in the thorough cleansing of the bottle walls. When this accomplished, cams 52 force the cage, bottle carrier and its complement of bottles upwardly until the bottom of the bottle carrier is in the its line of longitudinal travel through the machine. The bottle carrier then travels Silit rearward above the first set of rinsing devices 15 and the pump and mechanism 23 causes jets or streams of clean water of any desired temperature to be forced into the bottles.- The next step is exactly similar to the last one and it is followed by theforced longitudinal travel of the bottle carrier to a point in which the bottles are positioned above the steam jet nozzles 17. As the rock shafts 32, 32 are then caused to rock so as to throw the bot-tle carrier-engaging projections 32a outwardly, the lever 80 forces downward the rod 81 opening the valve 28 and permitting steam to 'rush into and escape through the nozzles 17 into the interior of the bottles, thereby sterilizing them. The bottle trays or carriers may be then removed from the macl ine in any desired or well known manner The bottle trays or carriers in which the bottles in inverted position are fed to the machine are the same which are used for conveying the-bottles from place to place for the purpose of any desired sort of distribution of them after they have been filled with milk or other liquid. In milk plants in which it is daily necessary to wash a large number of bottles, it fis highly essential to the securing of eiicient and beneficial results, that the bottles be handled as littleas possible. With my apparatus the empties are brought to the washing machine in the trays or carriers in which they have been placed when collected and each of these trays is employed in the advancing of its quotal of bottles through the initial washing, main washing, rinsing, and sterilizing sections within the machine.

Trays containing the bottles to be washed are fed tothe front end of the machine as rapidly as the step by step operation of the tray-conveyers will admit. A snitablehood or casing 82 may be laced over that portion Vof the bottle-tray guide from which water or steam is liable to escape upwardly.

The water or cleaning fluid which is inj ected into the bottles from the hollow brush spindles 12 may be introduced under pressure into the water tank 7 in any suitable manner so as to cause it to rise up through and be ejected from the brush spindles. I have shown means whereby either the fluid from the tank 19 or from the tank 24 may be introduced into the said head Vor water receptacle 7 l 83 is a conduit leading from ythe conduit 20 to the head or tank 7. It is provided with a suitable valve mechanism 83" which permits the opening or cutting of of the conduit as a means of escape forvsome of the fluid owing through the pipe 20, the rest of which rises upward and is ejected from the nozzles 6. 84 is a conduit leading from the pipe or'conduit 25 also to the head or tank 7, it being provided with a suitable valvev84 whereby the How of Huid through it from the pipe 25 may be permitted or predesirable that they should be directly above the sterilizing nozzles 17, so that the sterilizing iuid will be injected in to the mouths of' the bottles so as to completely sterilize them.

The water or cleaning fiuid collecting in the tankor troughs 4 and 13 may be drawn oli' or permitted to escape therefrom in'any suitable manner.

VIt .will thus be seen that applicant pro.

vides a plurality of sets of Hui jet injecting means, one of which sets is arranged in a diiferent horizontal plane from the others of said sets, and that the discharge of fluid from one set of jet injecting means is controlled by the bottle tray or case advancin means. V

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality o'upwardly directed nozzles' arranged in ,sets in longitudinal alinement with each other, each set being adapted to act u on a charge ofbottles to vbe cleaned, a bott e carrier, a guide for directing the bottle carrier above said successive sets of nozzles, a pair of reciprocating and oscillating rods one .arranged at either side of said guideway for the bottle Acarrierv and each provided with a plurality of bottle carrier engaging projections, and means for operating said rods.-

2. In an apparatus' for treating bottles, the combination of a mechanism for treating bottles in trays, means for supporting a tray of bottles in proper position to be treated by said treating mechanism, and means for v advancing to and conveying away from the bottle treating mechanism the tray of bottles, the said advancing and conve in means comprising a reciprocating oscil ata le rod provided with a device for engaging the bottle tray. .l

3. In an apparatus for treating bottles, the combination of a mechanism for treating bottles in trays, means for supporting a tray of bottles in proper position to be treated by said treating mechanism, means for advancing to and conveying away from the bottle treating mechanism the tray of bottles, the said advancing and conveying means comprising a reciprocating oscillatable rod provided with a device for engaging the bottle tray, and connections between the said maar? each of said mechanisms. a tray of bottles along said su porting means.

5. In a bott e treating apparatus, the combination of a plurality of bottle treating mechanisms, means for su porting a tray of bottles, reciprocating oscillatable means for advancing to and conveying Gaway from each of said mechanisms a tray of bottles along .said supporting means, and connections be`- tween the said advancing and conveying means and one of said bottle treating mechanisms for operating the latter at predetermined intervals.

' 6. In a bottle treating apparatus, the combination of a plurality of bottle treating mechanisms, means for supporting a ytray of bottles, and automatic intermittently operated reciprocating oscillatable means for advancing to and conveying away from each of said mechanisms a tray of bottles along said supporting means.

7 In a bottle treating apparatus, the combination of a washing mechanism, a sup' port for trays of bottles, a r'od extending parallel to said support and provided with means for engaging a tray of bottles, means for rotating sai rod onits axis at-intervals .to cause sald means to engage a tray of bottles, and means forendwise reciprocating said rod to move the tray of bottles along the said'support.

8. In a bottle treating apparatus, the combination of a Washing mechanism, a support for trays of bottles, a rod extending parallel to said support and provided with a series of devices or engaging trays of bottles7 means for rotating said rod 011 its axis at intervalsto cause said devices to engage a plurality of trays of bottles simultaneously, and means for endwise reciprocating said rod to move the trays of bottles along said support simultaneously.

9. In a bottle treating apparatus, the com bination of a plurality of sets of bottle treating mechanism, a support for trays ofV port and provided with a series of devices for engaging trays of bottles, means for automatically and intermittently reciprocating and oscillating said rod to canse the engagement of the said devices with a series of trays of bottles and their movement along said support step by step, and connections between the rod and one of the said treating mechanisms for operating the latter at predetermined intervals.

ll. In a bottle treating apparatus, the combination of a plurality of bottle treating mechanisms, means for supporting a tray of bottles, reciprocating oscillatable means for advancing to and conveying away from,i

each of said mechanisms a tray of bottles along said supporting means, connections between the said advancin and conveying means and one of said bottlJ treating mechanisms for operating the latter at predetermined intervals, and means for adjust-ing the said connection.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

LEROY fs. PFoUTs. 

